New type of fire extinguisher?

Log in

Log In | Register

Skip to main content

Topic: New type of fire extinguisher? (Read 246 times) previous topic - next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

New type of fire extinguisher?

October 14, 2018, 06:42:56 pm

Comparison – Element

Has anyone tried these Element fire extinguishers? I first heard about them on Jay Leno's Garage show. They have some good reviews on the boat forums, safe to breath, no mess and never need service. Everything about them just seems a lot better than the powder ones I'm using.

Any information is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Langton

Re: New type of fire extinguisher?

Reply #1 – October 14, 2018, 07:09:23 pm

Thanks for the product notice; seems well worth researching!

Re: New type of fire extinguisher?

Reply #2 – October 14, 2018, 07:59:01 pm

Fires are put out in three different ways
1. Remove material
2. Remove O2
3. Reduce temperature

Seems this is a remove O2 type of thing. That means it must be used in a space that must be well ventilated after use. I have issues with it being safe on ALL items. Nothing that smothers fire is 100 per cent safe.
BTW potassium nitrate is not breathable.

Re: New type of fire extinguisher?

Reply #3 – October 14, 2018, 09:11:47 pm

Element’s site says that it covers Class A, B, and K fires. A review site had these comments (which I have no expertise to evaluate) about K class extinguishers:

“Class K extinguishers are designed for putting out burning animal fats and cooking grease, but although they may sound like a nice fit for the kitchen, none of the experts we spoke with recommended them.12 The reality is that they’re designed for situations that are not likely to be found in a home. As Craig Voelkert told us, “Class K extinguishers [are] tested on an 80-pound-capacity commercial fryer—something a normal residential kitchen shouldn’t be dealing with.” Also, he made the very good point that an extinguisher with a B rating can extinguish a small Class K fire but the opposite is not true: Class K extinguishers are designed specifically to be compatible with animal fats and grease, and are ineffective against flaming motor oil or gasoline. So the best bet for home use is to stick with an ABC extinguisher—then you know you’re covered.

According to Amerex, Class K extinguishers contain “a special potassium acetate based agent.” This creates a chemical reaction that turns the flaming cooking oil into soap (no joke, it’s called saponification).”

FWIW, — Jon

Re: New type of fire extinguisher?

Reply #4 – October 14, 2018, 11:02:25 pm

The website says it covers A, B, C and K fires. Wouldn't that be better than the more common kind that just cover A, B and C?

Thank you,

Langton

Re: New type of fire extinguisher?

Reply #5 – October 15, 2018, 12:17:21 am

The Element is an interesting new product that deserves paying attention to but we need more information..
We have no way of knowing how effective an Element would be, the website and video are short on useful comparisons and labs results.
I would like to see a UL certification and/or a Consumer's Report test, so this type of extinguisher can be better compared to conventional extinguishers.
It could be the wave of the future...or not.

Larry

Re: New type of fire extinguisher?

Reply #6 – October 16, 2018, 10:16:32 am

Another new word--saponification...going to share it with my granddaughter after school today (they are studying roots & prefixes at the moment). I discovered my favorite word, which I wrote on the board for the first day of school because it had so many interesting parts, after Mt. St. Helen's blew: pneumonultramicrosopicsilicovolcanoconiosis (a lung disease arising from breathing volcanic particulate).

Thx to all for an interesting discussion & things to learn.

Lynne

Re: New type of fire extinguisher?

Reply #7 – October 16, 2018, 11:00:20 am

Whichever fire extinguisher you are looking at, please check your current extinguishers for this recall.

Kidde Recalls Fire Extinguishers with Plastic Handles Due to Failure to...

Affiliate Notice

LDOF is user-supported. When you purchase through some links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.